Aftermath
by Gothic984
Summary: Lucas deals with the unexpected news of Poppy Bowen's death.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Darkness Approaches.

It was a was cool late Thursday night in Trinity South Carolina. There was a slight breeze blowing through the empty streets and the full moon was high in the clear sky, casting an eerie light across the deserted town.

Gideon wandered the long dark corridors of the Buck Mansion, in search of his Master. No sound could be heard as he skulked slowly down the middle of the corridors, apart from a few low moans coming from a room buried deep within the vast confines of this property.

When he spotted the dim light under the closed door he lay down obediently, awaiting his Masters next orders. The dog could sense the darkness radiating from within the room and knew better than to intrude on such a thing, unless it became evident that his Master was in trouble; therefore, he would just wait obediently as he always did.

Lucas sensed Gideon's approached and gripped Gail's hips tighter in irritation, then smiled to himself when the mutt chose to remain outside. Caleb's birthday had been a huge success, even after Selena had tempted his love into helping her and everything had gone smoothly. Lucas had been on his best behaviour all day, being the dutiful Sheriff and the good family man; however, now he needed this time to unleash his primal urges and he was nowhere near ready to give up on his fun.

Gail gripped the edges of the table tighter as Lucas continued to pound in and out of her relentlessly. His desire was insatiable tonight and she knew her body would show the signs of their activities in the morning; however, she did not care and she craved him just as much as he did her right now.

She felt her climax rising again and laughed, she had lost count of how many times he had caused her to unravel so far and he appeared in no urgency to stop any time soon. She closed her mind off to everything around her, to allow herself to fully embrace the intensity of what was coming; however, just as they were about to experience their release together, the sound of Luke's cries through the baby monitor pierced into her brain and she forced Lucas to pull out of her.

'You've gotta be kiddin' me' Lucas snapped through gritted teeth, having to use all of his strength not to lash out at being interrupted.

'You wanted this family' Gail shot him a look of warning and started to pull her dress back on, when she heard Caleb's voice through the monitor and felt Lucas' hands grip her shoulders to prevent her from moving.

'Shhh...Give him a minute love' Lucas whispered in her ear as he reached down and ran his fingers up the outside of her thigh, then began gently playing with her sweet spot.

Gail still did not fully trust Caleb alone with Luke; however, her desire took over and she leaned back into Lucas, then raised her head to his to meet his lips. She kissed him softly at first, then when it was evident Caleb had managed to soothe Luke she allowed Lucas to gently bend her over the table again and pick up where they left off.

Lucas sensed the strength it took for Gail to take a step back and trust Caleb with Luke and he admired her commitment to their family. He understood why she would have reservations due to his past history and the fact that she had remained with him now turned him on even more. 'See, being content here with us isn't so hard. We're a normal family' he whispered, as he pushed his hard manhood deep inside of her and nipped at her bare shoulder affectionately.

Gail let out a low moan at the intense pleasure that surged through her when he entered her and laughed. 'You really are delusional' she advised, then pushed her hips back to force him deeper inside of her.

Lucas let out a loud moan and shook his head, his primal urges were returning and he sensed she was not content with his delicate thrusts; therefore, he gripped her shoulders tight and began pounding in and out of her again. It did not take long for their climax to return and he sunk his teeth into her neck when he exploded within her.

Gail allowed him a moment to rest inside of her, before shrugging him off and pushing him down on the table. The sharp stinging feeling on her neck caught her attention momentarily, she touched the spot gently with her fingers and shook her head at the excited look in his eyes when she saw the blood on her fingertips. 'What would your constituents think of their perfect dutiful Sheriff if they saw how much he liked to hurt his wife?' she asked, feigning innocence.

'They'd probably commend him for his restraint, considering how much his wife likes to hurt him' Lucas shrugged, then gripped her hips tight when she climbed up on the table and straddled him.

Gail let out a long breath, then smiled devilishly as she took him inside of her and began riding him roughly. She scraped her long nails down his chest and smiled triumphantly at his moans when her nails broke his skin. 'You love it really' she laughed and bit her lips to stifle her own moans.

'And you don't?' Lucas panted, as he sat up and kissed her passionately.

The sound of Luke's cries came through the monitor once again and Lucas cursed out loud. Gail stopped for a moment, then heard the telephone ring and felt a knot form in the pit of her stomach.

'Who the hell is callin' at this time of night?' Lucas asked irritated, as he started to lift her off the table with him.

Gail willed Caleb to Luke, then let out a relieved breath when she heard his soothing voice over the monitor. 'Leave it' she ordered, as she wrapped her legs around his waist tight and dug her nails into his back.

Lucas stared at her suspiciously, knowing she would not usually allow her curiosity at a mystery caller to be ignored so easily; however, the feeling of her closing in around his hard manhood as she tensed caused his train of thought to disappear. He gave in willingly to the look of longing in her eyes. then slammed her hard against the wall and began sucking her neck.

Gail let out a loud moan as he began to pound in and out of her, then closed her eyes and willed Gideon to their bedroom. She sensed her trusted companion rush down the corridors and up the stairs, then he entered their bedroom and pushed the ringing phone off the bedside table.

She smiled when she heard Caleb praise the dog for eliminating the sound that had disturbed his baby brother and allowed herself to fully concentrate on her lover, putting her trust in Caleb to take care of Luke in their absence.

* * *

Ben sat on an old car in the Junkyard staring blankly into his cup of coffee, then watched the paramedics take away Poppy Bowen's lifeless body in a black body bag and place it in the back of the ambulance.

As Lucas had taken some vacation time, he had gotten the call about this horrific incident in the early hours of the morning and he was the first on the scene. Rita had not been impressed that he had to leave her with Izzy so abruptly; however, no-one dared bother Lucas at home and Ben was officially in charge until his vacation time had ended, whenever that would be.

Ben knew instantly that he was out of his league when he saw the state of the poor girl; therefore, he had tried to reach Lucas by telephone after he had arrived on the scene. His telephone call was answered when he first attempted to reach his boss, then it was dropped and further calls would not connect so he had decided to stop trying and see what he could make of the situation himself.

Everyone was looking to Ben for instruction and all he could think about was the state of the poor girls body. Chunks of her flesh had been ripped off, causing bone to be visibly exposed in the bright moonlight. It had been a hard sight to witness and Floyd had thrown up when he saw her wounds, causing Ben to send the man away and leave him on the scene alone.

First Billy was attacked by a wild animal and now Poppy was killed by one. The poor girl had dealt with a lot of tragedy in her life, considering how her Mother had died and now this had happened to her on his watch. The thought of it all sickened him and he did not even know where to begin with this investigation; therefore, he picked up his telephone again in an attempt to reach Lucas for some guidance and prayed that he would pick up.

* * *

Gail awoke in the large kingsize bed, laying comfortably on Lucas' chest. She did not remember coming to bed or falling asleep last night; however, they had been going at it into the early hours of the morning, so she presumed Lucas had brought her back here when they had finished.

She let out a long breath and let calmness flow through her body after her restful sleep. It had been a long time since she had felt this relaxed and she stroked her hands affectionately down Lucas' chest, not wanting to move from her comfortable position.

Lucas felt her fingers playing with his chest hair and smiled, sensing how at ease she was. He was used to her being plagued with nightmares most nights; therefore, this relaxed feeling she was giving off was unusual to say the least. He opened his eyes slowly and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before pulling her closer and inhaling her scent. 'I don't know about you, but I'm in no fit state to move anytime soon' he whispered, feeling the aching muscles throughout his body.

Gail laughed and lifted her head slightly. 'That's a shame, I was planning on a bit of light exercise before the kids got up' she smiled, then reached down to his manhood and stroked it gently.

Lucas let out a quiet moan and shook his head in mock disapproval. 'You're gonna be the death of me Mrs Buck' he joked, then leaned down and began kissing her passionately.

Gail savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth, then tensed when she heard a small knock on the bedroom door.

Caleb opened the door quietly, then popped his head around it to survey the room and entered holding Luke carefully when he saw that they were both awake. 'Ben's at the door' he advised Lucas, ignoring Gideon's low growls from underneath the bed.

'Tell him to go away' Gail sighed, sensing what the visit was about and stroking Lucas' manhood discreetly under the covers in an attempt to distract him.

Lucas sensed her discomfort and stared down at her curiously. Her behaviour had been off the previous night and he had let it go, due to his desire to have her how he wanted; however, today was a new day and he found himself intrigued by her change. 'Go tell him I'll be right there son' he advised, but did not move when Caleb left the room.

'Oh will you now?' Gail smiled teasingly, as she climbed on top of him and began kissing his chest. She did not want him to get involved so soon and just wanted to enjoy this time before everything became complicated.

Lucas did not like that she was attempting to distract him and sensed something was very wrong here. Although his desire for her was unwavering, he felt like she was trying to play him and he had vowed not to be tricked by her again; therefore, he gently pushed her off of him, then got out of bed and started to search for some clothes. 'You think I'm stupid?' he asked unimpressed, not looking at her.

Gail sensed his distrust and remained calm. It was obvious he had known she was hiding something last night and she had been surprised that he had let this go on for as long as it had. It appeared her hopes of keeping everything simple for a little while longer had been destroyed; therefore, she resigned herself for the game that would inevitably come next. 'You got that from me wanting to service my husband?' she asked sarcastically, choosing not to make this easy.

Lucas turned towards her and shook his head, then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. Regardless of her disobedience of late, he did not believe she intentionally wanted to hurt him and this was just her coming to terms with her true nature. Besides, it was always more fun when she made it a challenge. 'Until tonight Mrs Buck' he smiled, then left her alone to find out what was going on.

Gail rolled her eyes at his apparent indifferent manner, then let out a long sigh. She suspected he would not be so understanding when he found out what she had gotten up to last night and it would be interesting to see how accepting of her true nature he really was.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Lucas stood over Poppy's lifeless body in the morgue of Trinity General Hospital and let out a long exasperated sigh. When Ben had gotten over his fear of bothering him at home and explained what had happened, Lucas did not hesitate to leave his home and demanded to see the body for himself.

The rage he felt right now was immense and it was taking all of his strength to remain in control. Having a little defiant fun due to new urges was one thing and he would never begrudge anyone that; however, he thought they had gotten past these homicidal urges when he had taken Christie out of the vicinity and this turn of events was unexpected.

Had he have gotten to Poppy last night before this was called in, he would have been able to help her like he had Christie and she would have been an interesting asset to have for the future; however, as he had been distracted, his time to correct this wrong had passed and he had once again been decieved by certain forces in his town.

Lucas outwardly remained calm; however, inside his blood was boiling. A death that had not been sanctioned by him was unacceptable and the cause of death showed a blatant disrespect for him and his authority. He was taking this action as a personal move against him and he was pissed.

'The bite marks appear to come from a canine...' Curtis continued to explain.

'You think Coronor?' Lucas interrupted abruptly, 'We all thought those teeth marks came from a pretty little butterfly'

Ben closed his eyes for a moment at Lucas' obvious anger, then looked down at the floor. Lucas had not been impressed at being interrupted in his vacation time and Poppy's death appeared to have hit him hard.

'I didn't mean to imply...' Curtis stuttered nervously.

'That us law enforcement Officers are stupid?' Lucas asked irritated. 'Just the usual hicks that roam about this town with their thumbs up their ass?'

Ben watched as Curtis' eyes grew wide at the realisation of how annoyed Lucas really was and decided to step in. 'He's just doin' his job Lucas' he said quietly.

Lucas looked from Ben to Curtis, then took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm. 'Get out' he ordered Curtis, then began to pace around the body inspecting the wounds.

'It's the one to the throat that did it...What the hell is goin' on Lucas?' Ben asked concerned.

Lucas inhaled deeply as he examined the hole in Poppy's throat and shook his head. 'Nothin' to worry about' he lied. 'Just a random animal attack'

Ben sensed Lucas knew more than what he was telling him; however, he knew better than to push him when he got like this. 'Is that what you're gonna tell the press?' he asked, knowing word would spread around town very soon.

'Nope, that's what you're gonna tell 'em. I'm still on vacation' Lucas advised, then slapped Ben on the back as he headed out of the room and exited the hospital.

* * *

Caleb stared at the front page of the Trinity Guardian newspaper in horror. Not only had the girl he had classed as a close personal friend been attacked last night, Gail had written the article this morning and had not told him. He felt his darkness begin to build inside of him when he thought of Poppy being taken away from him on the night of his birthday and the betrayal of his family. He did not know how this could happen without him knowing and he wanted to make someone pay.

'No-one betrayed you Caleb, I got the news after Lucas left and I was waiting for him to come back so we could tell you together' Gail lied, after reading his dark thoughts and sat down beside him. 'I'm so sorry'

Caleb did not move from his seated position on the couch, until he felt her warm arms wrap around him and he relaxed into her. 'What happened Gail?' he asked sadly, feeling tears begin to form in his eyes and not having the clear sense to question anything she was saying.

Gail inhaled deeply and hugged him tight. She had not considered how this would affect him and remorse began to flow through her. 'She was out late and must have disturbed a wild animal taking shelter in the Junkyard. No-one could've prevented this, it was a freak accident' she explained soothingly and lay back on the couch, while he embraced her.

Caleb allowed her words to sink in and began to cry, his darkness began to retract itself and all he was left with was a feeling of sorrow. Suddenly Gail was ripped from his grasp and his darkness took hold of him at the loss of her soothing touch. He glanced around the room quickly, then narrowed his eyes in anger when he saw Lucas pinning Gail against the wall by her throat.

'You didn't waste any time did you?' Lucas said accusingly, as he held up a copy of the Trinity Guardian in front of her face.

'Is there something wrong with my facts husband?' she mocked and smiled when his grip tightened around her neck.

'Let her go Lucas, she's just doin' her job!' Caleb snapped, as he came to his cousins side.

'You heard him, I'm just doing my job sweetheart...I couldn't help being the first to report on this terrible incident, how I found out before you is anyone's guess though' Gail smirked as she whispered in Lucas' ear, careful not to allow Caleb to hear her taunt.

Lucas tightened his grip on her neck as he felt his rage take over, she had crossed the line one too many times and she had to be taught a lesson. Before he had chance to consider the best punishment for his love, he felt a strong wind push him and lost his grip on her neck. He turned towards Caleb when he sensed the power radiating off of him and shook his head in frustration when he saw the look of disobedience in his eyes. 'Keep outta this son, you don't know the half of it' he warned.

Gail took in a deep breath when the pressure around her neck was released and watched curiously as Caleb attempted to come to her rescue. She had not expected him to chose loyalty to her above his Father, so this certainly was a turn of events.

She heard the warning in Lucas' tone as he stared angrily at Caleb; however, the boy did not appear to be backing down. Gail had no intention of causing a split between a Father and son, so she placed her hand reassuringly on Caleb's shoulder and smiled when his demeanour softened.

Lucas stared at the display with irritation and let out an exasperated breath. He did not know whether to be impressed that Caleb had responded favourably to Gail after his previous attempts of trying to hurt her, or whether to be angry. Either way his mood was not improving and he felt a strong urge to hurt someone.

'Let's get out of your Father's hair shall we?' she asked Caleb, then winked playfully at Lucas. 'This is what happens when you choose to disregard advice from me and work on your day off'

Lucas shook his head at her smug manner and let out a small frustrated laugh. She had gone from a judgemental pain in his ass to a homicidal one in such a short period of time and right now he did not know which one he preferred.

As if to answer his question, a small book fell from the bookcase he was stood next too and hit him on the behind. When he heard Gail's laughter from the other room, he instantly knew she was in one of her unpredictable moods and let out a long breath.

When another book fell from the bookcase and hit him on the head, he grabbed it before it landed on the floor and threw it hard across the room in anger. If a girl he had been slightly fond of did not lay dead in the morgue, this behaviour may have amused him; however, these outbursts were getting out of hand and it was time his love learned to show some respect for his authority.

* * *

Merlyn wandered the quiet streets aimlessly, trying to contemplate what her purpose in this life was. When she had read about Poppy in the newspaper a strange haze came over her senses, causing her to walk out on Matt and begin wandering the soon to be busy streets. She had been walking for hours on autopilot, not knowing where she was going or why; however, she needed to be away from anyone she cared about right now as she felt like she was going to snap.

The large opening to the main cemetery caught her attention and she felt herself being pulled in that direction. Her fallen parents had previously been moved here close to Christine and Peter Emory, to keep the family together she assumed and this is was where her grave was also situated. It had been a while since she had found her way here, she had been too preoccupied with her own selfish desires that she had lost sight of what she had initially been sent here to do and now she just felt shame in her own failure.

'Caleb's safer than he's ever been, I wouldn't class that as a failure' Gail called over to her, as she rooted in her open trunk for a small trowel.

Merlyn stopped in her tracks at the sound of her cousins voice and turned towards the blood red Mustang on her left. She did not know how she could have missed the vintage vehicle and let out a small laugh at how preoccupied she had clearly been. When she saw Gail trying to carefully pull out a colourful plant from her back seat, she rushed over to offer her assistance and grabbed the plant carefully from her.

Gail smiled warmly at Merlyn, sensing her unhinged mood and forced a wave for reassurance to flow through her. She had somehow ended up mothering Caleb today, due to her small amount of remorse over her actions of the previous night and she supposed it was only fair that she did not leave Merlyn out.

Merlyn found herself mesmerised by the plant. Focusing on the different colours and how they intertwined together was causing her mind to take on a different path, resulting in her losing sight of what she had been thinking about previously.

'Geraniums' Gail said soothingly, then signalled for Merlyn to follow her. '5 different varieties all seeded together...it's about time we got some colour out here'

Merlyn followed her cousin obediently and placed the plant down carefully next to Gail's parents' graves. She was about to say something when she spotted Caleb sat in front of their Mothers grave and began walking towards him; however, before she could reach her brother, she caught sight of her own grave next to her Fathers and stopped in her tracks.

Gail stood beside her own Fathers grave for a moment, staring at both of the children with sadness in her eyes. They all had this tragic connection and she understood more than Caleb or Merlyn about the heartache of losing a parent so young, she had lost both of hers at age 8 and had no one to protect her from what came next.

'But you have Lucas Buck now don't you honey?' Peter Emory's voice mocked from all around her. 'It's a good job that one likes dirty girls, otherwise you might've ended up just like that pretty Bowen girl'

Gail closed her eyes when his hysterical laughter flooded her ears and held her head as a sharp bolt of pain surged through her brain, when she was suddenly taken back to her Father burning her arm with a cigarette. His laughter became deafening when her younger self screamed with the pain and she heard him warn her against being a dirty girl again.

The disturbing vision caused her darkness to flare up instantly and force her eyes open to the present. She inhaled deeply, trying to gather up all of her strength to drown out her Fathers laughter and approached Merlyn slowly. 'Does he know the extent of it?' Gail asked curiously, glancing over at Caleb who still sat innocently in front of his Mothers grave.

Merlyn did not need to ask what she was referring to and just shook her head. 'It happened when he was at school mostly, except when I had an episode every now and again' she shrugged, not used to talking about the abuse she had endured.

Gail stared down at Gage's grave with disdain, that man had done so much to ruin both of their lives and she was beginning to believe that she hated him.

'But was it truly him my little dirty girl? Or did someone else give him a little push to end your Mother and I?' Peter whispered into her ear, trying to nurture the seed of doubt.

Gail gave off a small shudder at what she had considered on many late nights after her nightmares had awoken her abruptly, then felt Melyns hand on her shoulder.

'I know what you went through' Merlyn looked at her sadly, then glanced over her shoulder at Peter Emory's grave.

'You know nothing about me' Gail snapped defensively, then took off her cardigan and threw it over Merlyns gravestone to hide the name.

Merlyn sensed an unease in her cousin and let out a long sigh, then followed close behind her. Their family was truly damaged and tragedy migrated towards all of them, she was starting to wonder whether she was better off as a ghost.

'I'm sure that can be arranged by your previous murderer' Gail whispered hurtfully before they reached Caleb, still feeling betrayed at not being told before she got married and then knelt down beside him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to pull him close.

Caleb leaned his head on Gail's shoulder embracing her comfort, then inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. 'Everyone I know dies' he said sadly, with guilt in his tone.

'You didn't know her' Gail stated as she stared at Judith's grave with no emotion, then remembered her manners and forced a warm smile. 'You're not cursed, we all just have bad luck. You have more now in life than you ever had before...and so do I'

Caleb stared up at his cousin for a moment, then allowed her words to sink in and felt a calmness flow through him. He had gone from a bad home with Gage, to no family at all and then somehow ended up with his sister, his brother and parents who cared about them all. Gail was right, even though something had happened to Poppy it was not his fault and what happened with his Mother was not his fault either. They all just had bad luck and he needed to stop dwelling on that.

Gail sensed his thoughts and smiled. A little bit of warmth and affection went a long way in turning Caleb to her way it appeared, if only it was that easy to control his Father.

Merlyn watched the pair carefully and shook her head when she sensed Gail's lies. Her cousin knew they were cursed and she knew the reason why, Merlyn did not agree with lying to her brother and she did not like the dark change she had sensed beneath her cousins surface.

Her thoughts began to return to Poppy and how Gail knew the details of what happened before anyone else. Lucas would not have told her, he made a point of making it clear that he would not provide her with an inside scoop and Gail had always sworn to keep her career separate from their personal lives.

Something did not seem right here and Merlyn was determined to find out what.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Matt sat on the wall outside the main entrance of the hospital, trying to determine why he appeared destined to be surrounded by drama. Things did not usually involve him directly; however, he always seemed to be dragged into the fold somehow.

Take Poppy Bowen for example, she had been a beautiful quiet girl who he should never have had the pleasure of crossing paths with. They lived at opposite ends of town and she had never stumbled into his office sick or injured; however, due to his relationship with Gail and M he had met her, spent time with her and had even considered how best to incorporate the girl into their lives, believing M needed more people close to her own age to relate to. That plan had been cut short when he came into work today after M had stormed out and saw the girl on the autopsy table.

Matt knew his life was complicated, who's wasn't in this town. All he wanted right now was to settle down and enjoy the little things, with M by his side; however, now there was yet more drama and he was becoming tired of it.

'Think of how I feel friend. Our girls hide their true feelings from the sensitive Doctor Crower, but they don't hide them from me. No, I get it with both barrels' Lucas sighed and sat down on the wall beside him holding two cups of coffee.

Matt stared at his unlikely companion and let out a small laugh. 'You're telling me that you don't do anything to deserve what you get Sheriff?' he asked in disbelief.

'I ain't done anythin' recently Doc', that pleasure goes to your best friend' Lucas shrugged and handed him a small cup of coffee.

Matt watched Lucas suspiciously and took the drink that was offered. 'Has something happened with Gail? Is that why your bothering me like we're old friends?'

Lucas laughed and shook his head. 'Our rivalry is long gone Harvard, so come down off that high horse you like so much. I got more pressin' things to deal with than you'

'Like what?' Matt asked curiously. 'You're on vacation so this Poppy thing should have nothing to do with you'

Lucas took a long sip of his coffee and stared down at Luke, who he had left at the bottom of the steps in his buggy. His boy was staring up at the sky peacefully, holding the stuffed rabbit his Mother had gotten him as though it was the most important thing in the world. This vacation time was supposed to about his family and securing their bond; however, his love had thrown a spanner in the works and he was finding it hard to focus his rage on anything but her.

Matt sensed Lucas' irritation and glanced down at Luke, that baby boy was a ray of light in this godforsaken town and it was hard to accept that he was a Buck. He supposed Luke got his goodness from his Mother, he just hoped that was enough to keep him on the right path.

'I don't think his Mother is one to look to on that front friend' Lucas sighed, reading his mind.

'Meaning what?' Matt asked irritated, feeling a sudden wave of concern flow through him.

Lucas continued to watch Luke as he stared fascinated at the clouds in the sky, then let out a small laugh. When did his life become so dire that he had to confide in Matt Crower? Lucas shook his head at his own apparent self doubt, then took a deep breath and felt his confidence begin to flow through him. 'Never you mind Harvard. You just keep a check on that precious little kitten of yours and make sure she stays out of the way' he warned, then got from his seated position.

'Out of the way of what Lucas?' Matt called after him, then let out a frustrated sigh when Lucas just returned to Luke and started pushing the buggy towards his car.

* * *

Merlyn walked slowly through the Junkyard, running her fingers over the old abandoned cars as she passed. She had been unable to shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong; therefore, she had decided to investigate what had happened to Poppy, even though it was her cousin who was covering the story.

Poppy had been a breath of fresh air when she had no-one, they had not been given the chance to become as close as they could have and Merlyn felt sick at the thought of what her only actual friend in Trinity would miss out on. What happened to her was not fair and Merlyn knew better than to believe in random animal attacks in this town. Something had happened and she was determined to find out what it was.

TJ came around a stripped down car holding a shot gun and Merlyn stopped in her tracks. She held her hands up quickly to show she did not mean any harm and let out a sigh of relief when he lowered the gun.

'What the hell you doin' out here? I coulda shot you' TJ asked, feeling his heart pounding in his chest.

Merlyn sensed how on edge he was and put on a warm smile. 'TJ isn't it? I was a friend of Poppy's, do you remember me?' she asked sweetly.

TJ ran his hand through his hair uncomfortably and nodded. 'We never met, but I saw you together...I just can't believe she's gone' he said and hung his head down to hide his sadness.

Merlyn held back her own sorrow and took a few steps closer. 'What are you doin' out here with that thing?' she asked, nodding towards the gun.

TJ glanced down at his shot gun, then shrugged. 'I didn't mean to scare ya, I just heard a noise and thought the stray might've come back...I'm gonna get that thing no matter how big it is! If I was here last night this wouldn't have happened' he said and punched his fist hard on the car beside him.

Merlyn narrowed her eyes at him and took a deep breath. She knew from what Poppy had told her about TJ that he was always here pining over her, it was like he was obsessed with her and Poppy had started to get concerned at the attention he was showing her. It made no sense that TJ would not be here when he made a point of being here every night. 'Where were you?' she asked curiously.

TJ brought the palm of his hand down on his head a couple of times, then shook his head frantically. 'I should've been here, I'd have never left her to this...That Teacher just smelt so good'

Merlyn's eyes grew wide as she stared at him in disbelief. 'Selena Coombs? You were with her?'

'We were only parked outside the gates, I wouldn't have left her and gone far...I didn't hear a thing, how can that be?!' TJ raised his voice as he began to snap.

Merlyn sensed him start to become unhinged and backed away slowly. 'You'll get that animal, I know you will' she said reassuringly and smiled when TJ nodded, then rushed past her with his gun cocked up.

Selena Coombs, nothing was ever simple when that woman was involved. Merlyn let out a long exasperated breath and shook her head, before turning around and heading out of the Junkyard. There was only one man who could convince Selena to use her skills for something so terrible and Merlyn was determined to find out why.

* * *

Gail sat on the front porch of the Boarding House with Lucy, watching her play peacefully on the floor. She smiled warmly at Loris as she came out with a cup of lemon and ginger tea, then went back to watching Lucy intently.

It was curious to her how a child could just forget their Mother and she felt a sharp pain in her chest, when she began to think back to how happy Christie was when she was pregnant. Christie had survived two miscarriages and still welcomed a third pregnancy, this little girl had been the light in her life like Luke was to her.

Loris watched Gail carefully, then placed a reassuring hand on her knee. 'Sometimes people just need some space, I'm sure Christie will get on back here when she figures things out'

Gail forced a smile for Loris, then glanced out at the street. She could never tell anyone about her blood lust for her friend, or the real reason why she was not here. She had turned into something terrible and the realisation of that was starting to kick in. 'What if her travels find her new life and she doesn't come back?' she asked, keeping up the cover story she had previously told.

Loris thought for a moment and shrugged. 'Then Lucy couldn't have a better guardian than Matt Crower'

'I'll remember that when you're cursing me for dropping her off at the last minute without warning' Matt smiled and sat down beside Gail when she moved over for him.

Loris looked at them both and smiled, they always looked at ease with each other and she had always hoped they would get together. It was a shame Lucas Buck got in the way, that man destroys everything he touches.

'Not me' Gail said casually, reading her mind and resting her head on Matts shoulder. She could not truly blame Lucas for what she had become, she had to take responsibility for who she was.

Matt glanced down at his friend, then at Loris and signalled for her to leave them. When Loris was out of the vicinity he lifted his arm up and wrapped it around Gail's shoulder, then pulled her close. 'Are you alright?' he asked concerned. She had not been so openly close to him in a long time and this coupled with the earlier visit from Lucas made him uneasy.

'I'm perfect' she laughed bitterly, 'You?'

'My teenage girlfriend stormed out this morning without a word and I had to see her dead friend on an autopsy table about an hour later...life's great' he laughed, then lay back and started rocking the porch swing slowly.

Gail stroked her hand down Matt's chest affectionately, she could feel his pureness radiating off of him and she wanted it so badly. It was too late for her, she knew that now; however, just being with Matt put her soul at ease.

'I'm worried about you' Matt said quietly, breaking the silence.

'You worry about everybody' Gail shrugged and continued to rest peacefully on his chest.

'Everybody isn't married to Lucas Buck and locked away in that gigantic mansion most of the time'

'He'd never hurt me' Gail stated nonchalantly.

'Maybe not physically...'

'You're not suggestin' that my wife is weak enough to let me cause some kind of mental anguish are you Doc'?' Lucas asked, as he walked up the steps holding Luke.

Gail closed her eyes for a moment when she heard his voice, then felt Matt tense. She was actually starting to feel a little like her old self; however, his voice pierced through her brain and her rage was present at the front of her mind once again, as though it had never actually left. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then opened her eyes and got up to greet her son.

Lucas stared at her unimpressed at the position he had found her in, then handed Luke to her and turned his attention towards Matt. 'You got somethin' to say to me Harvard?' he asked, feeling his old dislike of the man coming to the surface.

'You don't want to hear what I have to say Sheriff' Matt advised, then reached for Lucy and took her to find Loris.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head. 'You can't just leave things alone can you?' she asked in irritation, lifting Luke high and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

'When I witness the man holdin' my woman...'

'Because you chose to visit him at work and put some crazy notion in his head that I'm not OK' she interrupted, 'What did you expect him to do, stop caring for his best friend? Or was it your intention to goad him into stepping out of line so you could punish him?'

'You mean like Poppy was punished?' Lucas asked.

Gail let out a small laugh and turned towards him fully. 'Are you looking for a confession sweetheart? If you are, you need to sharpen your powers of persuation'

Lucas laughed at her comment, then stepped forward and rubbed her back gently. 'This behaviour has to stop' he warned.

'Then kill me' she whispered calmly, not taking her eyes off his.

Lucas stared deep into her eyes for a moment considering her request, then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. 'You don't get off that easy Mrs Buck, but there will be consequences for that poor girl'

'You touch anyone close to me and I'll kill you myself, Master Buck' she warned in a soft tone, then left the porch with Luke and headed towards her car.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Merlyn sat outside the Elementary School watching Caleb playing in the playground with Boone. Her brother was old beyond his years; however, whenever she witnessed him playing with his friends, it reminded her how much of a child he still was.

Caleb had wanted to stay with her when he saw her, he thought Miss Coombs would be mad at him for missing class and showing up after school to find his friends; however, Merlyn assured him everything would be fine and sent him off when Boone rushed out after the finishing bell.

She sat patiently trying to determine the best way to go about this, then when she saw Selena coming out of the main entrance all of her plans went out of her head and she felt anger build inside of her. 'What were you doin' with TJ last night?' she asked accusingly.

Selena looked at the young woman in front of her and laughed, then continued on to her car. She knew better than to insult the girl, as she was close to Gail; therefore, she thought just ignoring her would do the trick.

Merlyn watched as Selena looked down her nose at her, then just walked away. The anger inside of her began to rise and she felt herself losing control. 'Look, we all know you're a whore, but I happen to know you're usually just followin' orders from your Master...Why did he want you there last night?' she snapped.

Selena threw her handbag onto her front passenger seat and slammed the door hard. She would not stand her and be insulted by a child, no matter who she knew. 'Listen here little girl, I get that you want to play with the big girls but don't mess with me' she warned, then turned back towards her car.

Before Merlyn could stop herself, she grabbed her arm and spun her back around to face her. 'I don't know who you think I am, but I'm not some child who you can brush off...I know you were with TJ, that fact wasn't in the paper so I'm guessin' it ain't public knowledge. I wonder why that is, did Lucas put you up to it?'

Selena let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head. She glanced around to make sure no-one was watching them, then took a few steps closer to the girl. 'I don't know where you're getting your information from, but as far as I'm concerned I was home all night grading papers and the lovely Mrs Buck will verify that' she smiled smugly, then got into her car.

Merlyn stared at her confused, why would Gail verify her lie? Her cousin did not like Selena at the best of times and Lucas surely would not have asked her to confirm his ex's story.

'One last thing little girl' Selena called through her open window as she pulled the car out of her parking space, 'Lucas Buck and I are over, I have no loyalty to him and never will again...You might want to rethink your take on this'

Merlyn shook her gead as a catty smile came over Selena's lips and felt a knot form in her stomach as she watched her drive away.

* * *

Lucas reached into the cooler for a Beer and tossed one to Billy, who was sat beside him on his side porch. He had returned home to contemplate his next move; however, he had gotten side tracked by his forgotten house guest and now he just sat staring into his extravagant garden, welcoming the peacefulness it brought him.

This insubordination was beginning to cause a problem, his rage festered inside of him and his twin was restless due to his constant need to insert his dominance; however, he had a family now and was required to show a little restraint. It was getting harder for him to try and work through these things, when he was required to behave in a certain civilised way and it was starting to frustrate him.

Had this have been two years ago, he would have put Gail in her place without a second thought and smoked out the betrayer on his property that was clearly helping her; however, things had changed since he convinced her to give herself over to him and it appeared the powers here, which had been loyal to him all of his life, had divided and some were backing a different horse.

He had initially been impressed that she had been welcomed in so easily, it had reaffirmed his belief that they were meant to be together and it made a change for a Buck not to end up here alone. Lucas had always known it was an unwritten rule that he would finish here alone, inevitably waiting to be taken down by the next in line.

Women had come and gone throughout his family history, none of them survived long enough to make an impact on anything and his Mother had lasted longer than most; however, the dynamic had changed with Gail here and that could provide him with a fighting chance in the end, if he could only control her apparent need to defy him at every turn.

The sound of his Fathers laughter caused him to let out a long sigh and he took a large sip of his Beer. Malcolm Buck was Bastard, he deserved everything he got and Lucas was proud that he dragged his Fathers suffering out as long as possible. He had made the decision to run this town differently when he had overthrown his old man, so not to fall prey to Malcolm's fate and he believed he was doing a pretty damn good job, disregarding what he had done to Judith and Merlyn. At least he had not made them suffer, that had been Malcolm's ultimate mistake in the end.

Lucas respected his Mother, the woman surrounded herself with witchcraft and talisman in preparation for her inevitable death at the hand of his Father. She also ensured Lucas was well versed in certain practices, to ensure he had a fighting chance of overthrowing Malcolm well before the old man was ready to stand down. He admired her for that and Gail's strength reminded him of her.

A large gust of wind suddenly blew through the garden and brought him out of his thoughts, he glanced at Billy who appeared happy to sit quietly drinking his Beer and let out a small laugh. He had been going about this all wrong, he had been so focused on his own anger that he had forgotten what he himself had been taught. He knew what he had to do now and the clarity caused a wave of ease to flow through him.

Lucas smiled to himself then relaxed back into his chair and allowed himself to enjoy the warm afternoon sun with his friend.

* * *

Gail exited the Sheriff's Station after Ben's press conference and headed towards the Coffee Shop across the street, where Rita was waiting for her. She had not wanted to waste her time going to the press conference, considering she knew more than what Ben had confirmed; however, she was required to behave in a certain way and if the lead Reporter of the Trinity Guardian did not attend, it would result in questions that she did not want to be asked.

Rita smiled at Gail warmly and pushed Luke's buggy close to her friends seat, the boy had been pining over his Mother and it was nice to see him relax when she got close. 'How'd he do?' she asked curiously.

'Ben did fine, he's a natural' Gail said then took Luke from the buggy and sat him down on her knee, before nodding her thanks to Rita for getting her a latte.

'He was worried about speakin' to the press without the Sheriff bein' around, it was awful what happened to that poor girl and he hates not being able to catch whatever did this' Rita sighed, then reached for Izzy and placed her bottle securely in her mouth.

Gail smiled down at Luke lovingly, he was the one constant goodness in her life and just looking at him put her at ease. 'Well Ben can't hide behind Lucas forever, he's good at what he does and he just needs the confidence to take it all the way'

'You mean for when Lucas Buck retires to be with his family, like a good God fearing southern gentleman would?' Selena asked sarcastically, as she she dragged a chair from another table and sat between them.

'I mean when I murder him and bury him in the basement' Gail shrugged, then rubbed her nose gently on Luke's and laughed when he tried to grab it.

'Have you been down to that basement Gail?' Selena asked curiously, wanting to know how much her nemesis actually knew. 'I wouldn't be caught dead anywhere but the main area of that damned house'

'Well that's why you're where you are and I'm where I am...The things that go bump in the night don't scare me that easily' Gail advised, unsure where this was going.

'I guess you don't have much to be afraid of with that mutt of yours watching over you' Selena stated knowingly, then reached for Gail's latte and took a long sip.

Gail tensed for a moment, then shot Selena a look of warning.

'Rocky ain't no mutt and he's as harmless as a teddy bear' Rita said, not liking Selena's casual intrusion.

'She means Gideon and yes, he follows me wherever I go' Gail nodded towards the Sheriff's Station and smiled proudly when she saw Gideon lying in the alleyway beside the building, ready to join her if required.

Both Rita and Selena looked in that direction, then turned back towards Gail uncomfortably. 'That dog is a little strange, where did you find him again?' Rita asked curiously.

'He found me, he'd been rummaging behind Lucas' property for food I suppose...that make you uneasy?' Gail asked.

Rita glanced at the dog curiously again, for a moment she could have sworn his eyes turned yellow then she shook off the thought and turned back towards her friend. 'It's nice that you took a stray in like that'

'Well she'd already taken in one, what was another one to add to the collection' Selena said cattily.

Gail felt her rage increase within her and stared down at Luke, attempting to hold on to the calmness he gave her. 'I'd watch how you refer to my cousin Miss Coombs, someone may take offence' she warned.

Rita glanced at both women beside her and shook her head, if Gail was not going to tell their intruder to leave then she would take herself out of the equation here. She had enough drama with Ben's stress at the current situation he was in charge of to be dealing with the awkwardness of these two. 'Well, I'm just gonna head on home and leave you to it...Call me later Gail' she advised, then placed Izzy in her buggy and stroked Luke's cheek affectionately before leaving.

Gail watched Rita go and let out a long sigh. 'You really don't understand the concept of a private gathering do you?'

'And your darling little M doesn't understand the concept of not poking her nose where it doesn't belong, or I wouldn't be here' Selena advised and continued to drink Gail's latte.

Gail narrowed her eyes at her for a moment, feeling a sudden wave of unease come over her then felt Luke struggle uncomfortably on her lap and held him up playfully on the table.

Selena watched with resentment as Gail continued to play with her annoyingly perfect child. That child should have been hers and having him paraded in front of her face was not helping her current predicament.

'What fantasy world are you living in?' Gail asked amused, reading her mind. 'This child would never have been yours, you lack the social standing and the ability to handle what I have...You were a tool Selena, nothing more and nothing less, which I why I'm having to protect you now'

'And who's going to protect you when that sweet little girl of yours puts together why I was with TJ last night? She's got an annoying feel of you about her and I doubt she's going to drop her curiosity over the subject any time soon'

Gail thought for a moment, then placed Luke comfortably in his buggy. 'What did you tell her?' she asked, when she could give her full attention to the matter.

'That I was at home grading papers and you could confirm that' Selena shrugged.

Gail let out a long sigh and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation. She had known she would have Lucas to content with over Poppy; however, she had not considered Merlyn and her cousin knew better than to believe she was with Selena last night. 'Next time a young girl comes digging for dirt, keep your mouth shut Selena...For God's sake you're an adult and she's a child, use your brain' Gail snapped, then got up and started to push Luke's buggy.

'Where are you going?' Selena asked, resenting the insinuation that she was stupid.

'To visit my husband, he's on vacation haven't you heard?' Gail mocked sweetly, then headed towards her car with Luke.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas strolled across the riverbank with Tony Muler, trying to find the best spot for them to set down. Tony was an old friend of his with a taste for the bottle and he had the perfect questionable morals to play a big part in what he required; therefore, he had invited the man out fishing and here they were.

After contemplating his next move in his garden with Billy, he had considered calling Billy-boy into play here; however, the arrogant Bastard had grown on him and he found himself wanting him to sit this one out. It was strange for Lucas to feel such a thing, especially for an outsider, but he supposed the man was close to being on par with Ben these days and those pawns were set apart from the rest with a select few.

Lucas had come to the realisation that he may be getting soft, he was turning 50 this year and having a family so suddenly may have affected him more than he had anticipated. That was not to say he did not still enjoy his games, this one had been a long time coming and he was happy that it was Gail herself who had provided the perfect opening for this course of action.

'Will this do?' Tony asked, setting down his long grey bag and fishing rod on the grass.

Lucas glanced around and recognised this area from when he had stayed in Gail's secret cabin. 'This'll do just fine' he smiled cunningly and placed his fishing rod on the ground.

'You remember when we used to come out to the river and shoot at the fish?' Tony asked, rummaging in his bag for a Beer and throwing one to Lucas.

'I reckon I do, that was a long time ago friend...The things we got up to when we were young huh?'

'Who's talkin' about bein' young?' Tony winked and pulled his rifle carefully out of the long bag.

'That's what I was countin' on' Lucas smiled and opened his Beer.

* * *

Gail headed up her old porch steps and knelt down to greet Rocky when he came around the back of the house to find her. Rocky had been the first proper gift Lucas had given her and he was the cause of her guard melting enough to allow Lucas in.

Thinking back to that time, she realised how stupid she had been. She had fallen right into his trap after he had provided her access to Matt in Juniper and given her Rocky. It turned out that she was not as smart as she liked to believe she was and all it took was a little kind attention to win her over.

'Two visits in one day, you're spoiling me...To what do I owe the pleasure?' Matt asked happily, as he came from around back holding Lucy.

Gail smiled at how content her friend looked, he had come a long way since Juniper and considering she had given herself over the the man they had both initially sworn to take down, Matt was handling the situation very well. 'I can't stay long unfortunately, Luke's in the car and I need to get him settled soon...I'm looking for M, have you seen her?'

Matt stared at Gail suspiciously, he could tell when something was not right and her behaviour of late had definitely caused him some unease. 'She's been out all day, she left me a note to say she was heading towards the river to get some clarity. Do I need to be worried?' he asked concerned.

'Not at all, I just wanted to run some things by her about the Poppy story' she lied and continued to cuddle Rocky.

'I don't know whether that's the best thing to burden her with right now, considering Poppy was her friend' Matt advised.

'She's a big girl and talking about it may help'

'Is this coming from someone who's lost her oldest friend?' Matt asked, referring to Christie.

Gail let out a small sigh and rolled her eyes discreetly, Christie was the last thing on her mind at the moment and she did not need to be reminded of her right now. 'You've got Lucy, so don't worry about Christie' she advised reassuringly, then stood up and stared at Rocky sadly as he started to whine when he sensed she was leaving.

'Lucy isn't mine Gail and truthfully, it would've been better if I could've focused on M today rather than someone else's child'

Gail stared at Matt confused. 'I thought this was what you wanted?'

'So did I' Matt shrugged and smiled down at Lucy. 'M clearly needed me today but just left to deal with things on her own, knowing I had Lucy and work...It doesn't seem right that one of the people I care about the most has to be put behind everything else. Besides, sometimes I think you could do with your old friend being around to reign you in'

'I have you for that' Gail forced a smile.

Matt placed Lucy carefully on the floor and stroked Rocky, who was clearly pining over his true Master. 'You'll always have me, but Christie knew you before and if I had someone to remind me of how I used to be before this town, I'd cling on to them for dear life' Matt smiled.

Gail thought on that for a moment, then shook her head. She had felt uneasy since leaving Selena and she did not have time to focus on anything but M right now. 'I see your point, but that's for another time' she said and started to walk down the porch steps, then turned back around. 'One last thing, you haven't seen Lucas by any chance have you? I thought he'd be at home by now but his car wasn't there'

'I saw Billy about an hour ago, he said your husband went fishing with an old friend down by the river...Are you sure everything's OK?'

'It's fine' she lied again, 'Do me a favour if you're out walking Rocky and swing by my place to check Caleb got home alright. I've got something that I have to do before heading back'

'Alright, you be careful' Matt advised concerned and shook his head, knowing she had lied to him.

* * *

Merlyn had gotten a taxi to where she thought Gail's cabin was, wanting to see if her cousin was up to her old secretive ways; however, she had misjudged the location and had been walking along the riverbank for almost two hours. She was about to call her cousin when she spotted two fisherman a little way down from her and when she approached them, she let out a frustrated laugh.

'Well, fancy seein' you here Missy...Wanna grab a Beer and join us?' Lucas asked, happy that she had finally joined them. His plan could now start falling into place.

Merlyn sensed his smugness and surveyed her surroundings for a way out; however, they truly were in the middle of nowhere. 'I guess I don't have a choice' she sighed and grabbed a Beer, then glanced at the man on the other side of Lucas.

'Don't mind him' Lucas reassured her, 'Tony's just havin' a little fun'

'With a gun?' Merlyn asked suspiciously, then jumped when Tony shot into the water.

'Whoa, I nearly got one Lucas!' Tony yelled, then downed his fifth Beer.

'Yes you did friend, you'll get there soon' Lucas smiled knowingly, then glanced over Merlyn's shoulder to see Gideon following a small distance behind her protectively.

Merlyn followed Lucas' gaze but was not surprised to see Gideon, he showed up every so often if it appeared she may be in a suspect situation and his presence sometimes comforted her.

Before she had a chance to acknowledge his presence fully, she heard Tony yell and watched as he turned towards her aiming the gun.

* * *

Gail had felt her darkness inside of her more violently since she left Matt, she had chosen to give up her conventional search and opened up her mind to the connection she had with Merlyn. She sensed her instantly close to her cabin and drove quickly in that direction, feeling an urgent need to get to her.

When she pulled up at the side of the road, she quickly unstrapped Luke from his car seat and held him close as she rushed through the woods towards the clearing. She sensed Gideon was close to Merlyn, clearly sensing Gail's unease and usually that would provide a calming effect on her; however, her unease increased as she rushed towards the location and she felt a shadow of threat come over her mind.

Gail exited the woods and stopped in her tracks when she saw Lucas staring at Gideon. Suddenly the man beside Lucas began yelling and pointed a rifle towards her trusted companion, causing Gail to release her darkness. Gail took a sharp intake of breath when she sensed it was too late and the rifle fired, then closed her eyes tight when Gideon let out a pained howl.

'I got him Lucas! I got the killer!' Tony yelled and ran towards the stray dog, who he somehow knew had attacked the Bowen girl.

Lucas had sensed Gail's presence a mile away and smiled devilishly, she had instigated Poppy's death so he had returned the favour to Gideon. Tony's shot was not as accurate as he had hoped, probably due to Gail's dark interference which he had sensed her release; however, without the proper treatment the dog would bleed out right here, ensuring Lucas was free of the interfering mutt once and for all.

Gail's vision suddenly went blurred as she walked slowly towards the group. She automatically handed Luke to Merlyn, ignoring his cries of protest and headed towards the man who stood over Gideon.

Her darkness had taken full control and she had no desire to pull it back. Gideon had been her one true companion and protector, when she was lost after her miscarriage. He turned up just at the right time to give her some clarity and had been loyal to her ever since, the thought of someone taking him away from her was too much to handle and she had gone numb.

Lucas took Luke from Merlyn and held him close to his chest, to stop his crying. Suddenly he saw Gail take her butterfly knife out of her bag and plunge it in Tony's throat before he had a chance to predict the action. He handed Luke back to Merlyn carefully, who let out a surprised scream, then began walking towards Gail; however, she pointed the knife directly at him in warning and he could see in her eyes that she had lost all control.

This was something Lucas had not considered, he had suspected her to react badly to this punishment; however, the glazed look in her eyes gave way to a dark shadow and he sensed she was ready to use the knife on him in front of their son.

Merlyn watched as Tony started to bleed out on the floor beside Gideon and knew there was no hope for him. She saw the lost look in Gail's eyes as she pointed the knife threateningly at Lucas and passed Luke back to his Father, before deciding to approach her cousin herself.

All of her thoughts of finding out what happened to Poppy had left her mind when she saw how consumed with darkness her cousin truly was. Merlyn had known there was something very wrong, that much had been brought to her attention at their wedding; however, she had not realised how much Gail had lost control of herself and the little effort it took for her to stab this man in the throat scared her.

'Merlyn, don't do anythin' stupid now...She's not herself' Lucas warned, actually concerned for her safety.

'Would you rather talk her down?' she whispered to him angrily, then shook her head and approached her cousin slowly. 'Besides, we're blood. She's the reason I have a second chance and I have faith that she won't take it away from me'

Gail heard Merlyn's words and they tried to fight their way through to her; however, she could not take her eyes off Lucas. She felt the life leaving Gideon and right now all she wanted to do was carve Lucas' heart out so he knew how much she hurt. No amount of looking to Luke for calmness was going to help her, all she saw was black and she was now ready to fully embrace it.

A soft hand on her arm caused a slight break in the rage that was consuming her soul; however, the break did not last for long and her mind was plagued with evil thoughts directed at her husband.

'You want him to die?' Merlyn asked calmly, choosing to get straight to the point when her cousin was not responding to her touch.

Gail smiled maliciously, but did not take her eye's off Lucas. The girls purity radiated off of her and it made Gail laugh. 'You're out of your depth here little girl...That man will die and you will not help him' she ordered.

Merlyn disregarded to vicious tone in her cousins voice and stood her ground. She had enough run ins with Lucas to know that you did not show weakness in these situations, unless you want to become a victim yourself and this was not her first rodeo. 'I ain't talkin' about him' she stated calmly and glanced down at Gideon, 'I can't drive, God knows where Lucas' car is and none of us can fly, so that just leaves you'

'Lucas...' Gail spat out venomously and willed him to come closer.

'God damn it Gail, Gideon's bleedin' out!' Merlyn snapped, then let out a relieved breath when Gail's demeanour softened slightly and she turned towards the dog.

Gail stepped over the stranger who had shot Gideon and knelt down beside her. She took off her cardigan and applied pressure to the wound, then signalled for Merlyn to help her pick him up. She allowed Lucas one last hateful glance before leaving him with Luke and heading back to her car with Merlyn.

Lucas watched the women leave, then casually strolled over to Tony. The man had began convulsing and he sensed it would not be long now. 'Maybe I should've considered the reaction this plan could've mustered out of her' he said to his dying friend and looked up at the sky in exasperation.

'Help me' Tony pleaded through faint breaths and reached for Lucas' leg with the free hand that was not holding his neck.

'If only it were that simple old friend, better you than me...Don't you worry though, all your sufferin' stops here' Lucas sighed and started to stroll slowly back down the riverbank towards his car, while Tony took his last breaths.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Matt sat comfortably with Billy and Caleb on Lucas' side porch, while Rocky ran free around the large garden. You could say what you would about the man; however, his property was definitely an achievement. He had decided to stay awhile and wait for Caleb after Gail had left him, the boy did not take long to return home and had been so happy to see he was here for him that Matt did not want to disappoint him by leaving so soon.

Caleb was exhausted after a long day of busying himself to stop him from thinking about Poppy. He had been happy to see Matt, as everything had been so complicated lately and Matt had not been the same with him after he found out that he was Lucas' son. The mans company always reassured him that everything would be alright and him staying here despite his dislike of Lucas meant a lot to him.

'You sure I can't tempt you with a Beer?' Billy asked Matt, as he handed one to Caleb.

'Not a chance' Matt advised, then shot him a disapproving look for giving Caleb alcohol.

'Lucas gives it him all the time' Billy explained, sensing Matt's judgement.

'You're not Lucas' Matt stated frankly.

'No he's not, you're both Doctors so one of you needs to get down here and help us right now!' Gail snapped from the bottom of the porch steps and shook her head disapprovingly at the Beer in Caleb's hand.

Both Billy and Matt got up instantly, Matt rushed after Gail as she returned to her car while Billy trailed slowly behind due to his previous injuries. Billy looked on with concern as they rushed passed him and went deeper into the garden with a bloody figure, it took him a moment to realise it was Gail's dog and he tried to catch up as fast as he could.

'What the hell is going on?' Matt asked staring at the amount of blood seeping out of the dogs chest, as they lay Gideon carefully down on the ground.

'He's been shot by some stupid hunting guy' Merlyn lied, not wanting to drag Matt further into the disaster that was her family.

'Shouldn't we get him to a vet?' Billy asked when he reached them.

'No ve's, no shots, just someone fix him up now' Gail ordered, attempting to keep a handle on her rage.

Caleb rushed over to the group and stared down at Gideon confused, he could see the dogs breaths were faint and he felt a strong concern come over him.

'Run to the house and get me some clean towels, water and some tweezers...Do it now Caleb!' Matt snapped, not giving the boy time to react to this strange situation.

'And grab a bottle of vodka from Lucas' Study' Billy called after him, when the clear intensity of the situation had caused Matt to forget about a disinfectant.

Gail inhaled deeply, closed her eyes and covered her eyes with her hand. 'If he dies...' she started to dispair.

'He won't' Merlyn reassured her, placing her hand gently on her shoulder.

'He better not' Gail warned as she felt her rage clawing to be released, then knelt down beside Gideon and stroked his nose reassuringly.

* * *

Lucas knocked on the old wooden door for the third time, before cursing out loud. Today had not gone quite to plan and now the only truly dependable person in his life was nowhere to be found, this did not bode well for his current mood.

'Quit your bangin' fool and come round back' came a grumpy voice from behind the house and Lucas laughed to himself, before following the old mans instructions.

When Lucas entered the backyard, he let out a frustrated sigh as he saw Abe on his knee's tending to his roses. 'If Gail see's you over exertin' yourself, she'll have your hide' he warned.

'It's a good job no-ones gonna tell my Rosie then isn't it?' Abe asked, then slowly got to his feet and gave a long stretch. 'I guess somethin's goin' on if you're here with the youngin''

'Nothin's goin' on that I can't handle ol' man, I just need you to watch him tonight if you're well enough'

'I'll out live you all boy, you wait and see' Abe laughed, then took Luke in his arms and held him close.

Lucas watched as Luke relaxed into his oldest friend, he did not think it was really necessary to hand him off like this; however, he did not want him around when the inevitable confrontation occurred with the boy's Mother.

'You've done somethin' bad to piss her off ain't you? You wouldn't be here otherwise' Abe said knowingly.

'You just take it easy and if he gets too much give us a call' Lucas ordered, then headed back towards his car so he could get this over with.

* * *

Lucas pulled up in his driveway and stared at his house confused, as all the lights on the property were off. Even when there was no-one home the place was illuminated to ensure his townspeople could see his Mansion. The place looked eerier than usual in complete darkness and he found that he actually liked it, so much so that he made a mental note to have it like this more often to remind his people who was boss.

As he got out of the car he opened his minds eye and released his twin, Lucas was not stupid and this setting reeked of a trap. It was amusing to think that she actually believed she could play him here in his domain and part of him was excited to see what tricks she had up her sleeve.

A strong gust of wind pushed him against the car and he let out an amused laugh. 'Is that all you've got love?'

'She's got more than you could ever know Buck' Peter Emory spat out venemously, as he stood with his arms folded over his chest leaning against the wall.

Lucas instantly tensed at the sight of his old enemy and felt his rage begin to rise. His twin had already been released to locate his love; however, he did not need his assistance to deal with the likes of Peter Emory.

'Whoa there partner, is that any way to think about your Father in law? We're all family now' Peter mocked, then disappeared when Lucas reached for his neck.

Lucas glanced around to ensure no-one was watching him from the street. He had not expected her to call on her family and this stunt had taken him by surprise.

'She ain't callin' on me Buck, no woman controls me... Besides, why wouldn't you expect me? I've been hauntin' her for months. It goes to show how little she actually confides in you, but who can blame her when you're a self absorbed ass on a power trip' Peter continued to mock him and laughed when his unease started to show.

'See what happen's when you bring outsiders into our home son? You get stuck with wife beaters as part of the family like this degenerate' Malcolm said, deciding to come to his boys aid.

'Who are you to talk? What you did to your wife was harsh even by my standards. At least I gave her a fightin' chance, it's just a shame she was too weak to fight back' Peter laughed.

Lucas shook his head in disbelief at their Fathers actually having a conversation about who hurt their women worse and just walked past Peter into his garden. He could still hear the debate when he got to the back of the property and had to concentrate hard to drown it out.

'Welcome to my world' Gail's voice came from around him; however, he still could not see her.

A trail of candles led past the large fountain and into the woods at the back of the property. When his twin returned to him and indicated where she was currently located, he decided to play along and followed the trail obediently. He knew she mad, he could smell her fury from all the way back here and it excited him. All that was left was to go to her and see how far she wanted to take this.

When Lucas entered the woods, a crash of thunder exploded overhead and a sudden flash of lightening hit a tree only a few yards from him. As the tree exploded, it took all of his strength not to react to such a close call and he shook his head knowingly. 'Theatrics don't suit you love, you're too real for that. Why don't you show yourself and we'll get this over with? Then we can head inside and have some real fun' he mocked calmly.

'Oh but you know exactly where I am sweetheart' Gail's voice came to him, 'Why don't you come closer and we'll discuss this in a more intimate setting?'

Lucas continued to follow the trail carefully, his crows were circling in an attempt to warn him of something; however, he disregarded them and continued on his path. When he saw the familiar clearing up ahead he smiled, it had been a long time since they had been out here together and he wondered what surprise she had waiting for him.

As he exited the clearing and finally saw her stood at the far end of his families graves, he heard a loud bark and was pushed down to the ground abruptly. When the sharp teeth clamped down around his wrist, he shook his arm violently in an attempt to break free. 'If you don't call off your hell hound, I'll rip out his heart with my teeth Darlin'' he warned angrily, failing to remain in control of his emotions.

Gail watched silently for a moment as Gideon tightened his grip on Lucas' wrist, then waved her companion off to ensure he did not over exert himself in his wounded condition.

Lucas stood up and dusted off his shirt, ignoring the blood that was coming from the broken skin around his wrist. 'I see the mutt survived' he said in irritation, as he walked cautiously towards her.

'If he hadn't I would've killed us all and we'd be free to rot here with your ancestors' Gail shrugged and backed away from him slowly.

They paced around the graves silently for a few minutes, each one trying to figure out what the others next play would be and then Gail stopped at the single grave at the head of the plot, bored with the whole situation. She knew this grave well, her past self would not have taken an attack on something she loved so lightly and part of her wanted to call upon Rosemary to exact her revenge.

'You threw the first stone love' Lucas said from a few feet away, reading her thoughts.

'You didn't love her like I do him' Gail stated honestly, hurt at his betrayal. 'Besides, I can't control myself, what's your excuse?'

Lucas stopped a small distance away from her and watched her closely, he sensed how betrayed and on edge she felt; therefore, was careful not to push her too far now that she had shown some restraint. 'Do you love me?' he asked curiously, 'Clearly not enough to keep your mutt on his leash'

'Oh don't you dare act the victim, love has nothing to do with what you or I did. You're Lucas Buck and I know you...You're pissed as this is your town and nothing happens here without your say so. Isn't that about right?' she asked sarcastically.

Lucas forced a devilish smile to hide his anger and took a few steps forward. 'So you do know how it works around her? Does that mean that the ill executed actions you took were just to disrespect my authority? They clearly weren't due to any naive confusion over who's boss in my town'

'Which actions? Christie, Poppy or Tony?' she asked feigning innocence.

Lucas closed the distance between them fully and stared down at her dominantly. 'All of the above' he advised and watched her carefully.

Gail could sense his rage just beneath the surface, it amused her that they were both having to keep their rage in check to prevent a fatal error on both fronts. 'Maybe something else is going on here, you are starting to get old' she shrugged, playing to his suspicious side of feeling betrayed by whatever it was he believed should serve him.

Lucas narrowed his eyes at her and let out a long breath. 'If anythin' else was goin' on around here, I'd kill us all without hesitation Gail'

Gail could not help but laugh at the statement, no matter how serious it sounded. Considering she had threatened to do the same, it appeared their instincts matched up perfectly. 'We're a right pair aren't we?' she laughed, then reached down and stroked his manhood while staring deep into his eyes.

Lucas caught the mischief in her eyes and was confused at her change of mood. He gripped her arms tight and threw her roughly against a nearby tree. 'You think all of this is funny? People I cared for are dead'

'I think I want to rip out your heart and feed it to you for what you just put me through, but I have a newborn boy to think about so I choose to laugh it off' she said angrily, then his full sentence sank in and she could not control her laughter again. 'You didn't care about any of them, you barely stretch that privilege to us'

'I could have cared' he tried to sound convincing, then laughed at how out of character the statement was.

'Did you save him?' Gail asked flatly, curious as to whether he had gone against her.

Lucas shook his head and lessened his grip on her arms. 'A punishment was required love and that dog deserved death, but I figured you'd want justice for whoever attacked your mutt and better him than me' he shrugged, then glanced at Gideon who was skulking quietly in the shadows. 'How did he survive?' he asked curiously

'The power of love I suspect' Gail answered sarcastically, 'Or two highly trained Doctors who just happened to be on our property when I got here...If that dog deserves death, what do I deserve?'

'An eternity with me...' he smiled devilishly, then lost his train of thought. 'Wait, our property?' he asked suspiciously. She had made it clear previously that she would not accept this place as her home and the comment had thrown him.

Gail ran her hands up his chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. She really wanted to hurt him; however, she sensed that was not possible here so she would settle for the only other way she knew how. 'Our's for now, I'll kill you viciously and take it for my own eventually though' she shrugged and resigned herself to the inevitable act of her body betraying her, then sank her teeth into his chest hard and smiled at loud moan as her teeth pierced his skin.

'Maybe one day Mrs Buck, but until then...' he started, then dragged her down to the dirt where they could work off both of their frustrations and began kissing her passionately.

-The End-


End file.
